Orkney Bird Names

A lot of the birds found in Orkney have local names which are often derived from Old Norse, however some may be related to the birds appearance, its behaviour or the habitat where it is found. A lot of these names are still in common use today.

If you know of one that is missing please let me know what it is and its derivation and I'll add it to the list.

English               Orkney             Scientific
Red-throated Diver    Loom, Loon,        Gavia stellata 
                      Rain Goose

Great Northern Diver  Immer Goose        Gavia immer
 

Little Grebe,         Little Footy Arse  Tachybaptus ruficollis
Dabchick

Manx Shearwater       Lyre, Lyrie        Puffinus puffinus
 

Fulmar                Mallimack,         Fulmarus glacialis
                     
Mallimak

Storm Petrel          Alamonti, Mootie,  Hydrobates pelagicus
                     
Gourder

Gannet                Sula, Solan Goose  Sula bassana
 

Cormorant             Scarf, Hibling,    Phalacrocorax carbo
                      Lerblade,Palmer

Shag                  Skart,             Phalacorax aristotelis
                     
Tappie Whaesie

Grey Heron            Hegrie,            Ardea cinerea
                     
Skiop Herie

Barnacle Goose        Claik, Rotherock,  Branta leucopsis
                     
Horra Goose

Brent Goose           Quink, Horra Goose Branta bernicla
 

Shelduck              Sly, Ringer Goose  Tadorna tadorna
 

Mallard               Stock Duck         Anas platyrhynchos
 

Teal                  Ateal              Anas crecca
 

Goldeneye             Gowdy Duck, Kwink  Bucephala clangula
 

Long-tailed Duck      Caloo              Clangula hyemalis
 

Eider                 Dunter             Somateria mollissima
 

Goosander             Rantock            Mergus merganser
 

Red-breasted          Sawbill, Herald,   Mergus serrator
Merganser             Harle

White-tailed Eagle    Erne               Haliaeetus albicilla

Golden Eagle          Ainie-onyoo        Aquila chrysaetos
 

Hen Harrier           Kattabelly         Circus cyaneus
 

Common Buzzard        Gled               Buteo buteo
 

Kestrel               Moosiehaak,        Falco tinnunculus
                     
Wind Cuffer

Merlin                Smyril             Falco columbarius
 

Red Grouse            Muirhen, Muir Pout Lagopus lagopus
 

Coot                  Snythe, Snaith     Fulica atra
 

Oystercatcher         Skeldro, Chaldro,  Haematopus ostralegus
                     
Shaalder

Ringed Plover         Sinloo,            Charadrius hiaticula
                     
Sandy Laverock

Golden Plover         Hill Laverock,     Pluvialis apricaria
                     
Plever Pliver

Lapwing               Teeick, Teeoo,     Vanellus vannellus
                      Peewit

Knot                  Ebb Cock           Calidris canutus
 

Dunlin                Boondie            Calidris alpina
 

Snipe                 Horsegowk,         Gallinago galligano
                     
Water Pleep

Bar-tailed Godwit     Tang Whaup         Limosa lapponica
 

Whimbrel              Summer Whaup,      Numenius phaeopus
                     
Peedie Whaup

Curlew                Whaup              Numenius arquata
 

Redshank              Watery Pleeps      Tringa totanus
 

Common Sandpiper      Steenie Pouter,    Actitis hypoleucos
                     
Water Pleep

Ruddy Turnstone       Stone Putter       Arenaria interpres
 

Red-necked Phalarope  Half-web           Phalaropus lobatus

Great Skua            Bonxie, Allan,     Stercorarius skua
                     
Herdsman

Arctic Skua           Scootie Allan      Stercorarius parasiticus
 

Black-headed Gull     Rittock,           Larus ridibundus
                     
Swarfarro

Common Gull           Whitemaa, Cullya   Larus canus
 

Herring Gull          Whitemaa           Larus argentatus

Great Black-backed    Baakie, Swaabie,   Larus marinus
Gull                  Swart Back

Kittiwake             Kittick,           Rissa tridactyla
                     
Kittiwaako

Arctic Tern           Pickieterno,       Sterna paradisaea
                      Rittock, Ritto,
                      Tirrick

Guillemot             Aak, Skout, Lungi  Uria aalge
 

Razorbill             Cooter-neb,        Alca torda
                     
Baukie

Black Guillemot       Tyste, Tystie      Cepphus grylle
 

Little Auk            Rotchie            Alle alle
 

Atlantic Puffin       Tammie Norie,      Fratercula arctica
                     
Sea Coulter

Rock Dove             Doo                Columba livia
 

Cuckoo                Gauk               Cuculus canorus
 

Short-eared Owl       Cattie-face,       Asio flammeus
                     
Cattie-ogle

Skylark               Laverock, Laveroo  Alauda arvensis
 

Sand Martin           Witchuk            Riparia riparia
 

Meadow Pipit          Teeting, Titlark   Anthus pratensis
 

Rock Pipit            Tang,              Anthus spinoletta
                      Shore Sparrow

Pied Wagtail          Willie Wagtail     Motacilla alba
 

Wren                  Wirran, Wrannock   Troglodytes troglodytes
 

Dunnock               Hemplie, Titling   Prunella modularis
 

Wheatear              Chuckie,           Oenanthe oenanthe
                      Stinkie-buil

Ring Ouzel            Flitterchack       Turdus torquatus
 

Blackbird             Chucket            Turdus merula
 

Yellow Hammer         Yellow Yarling     Emberiza citrinella
 

Snow Bunting          Oatfowl, Snowbird, Plextrophenax nivalis
                     
Snowflake

Corn Bunting          Skitterbroltie     Miliaria calandra
 

Linnet                Lintie, Lintick    Carduelis cannabina
 

Twite                 Heather Lintie     Carduelis flavirostris
 

House Sparrow         Sprog              Passer domesticus
 

Starling              Scootie, Stare     Sturnus vulgaris
 

Jackdaw               Jackie, Kae        Corvus monedula
 

Rook                  Corbie             Corvus frugilegus
 

Hooded Crow           Craa, Hoodie       Corvus cornix
 

Raven                 Hrafn, Corbie      Corvus corax